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Brotherhood Retreats

Delta Sigma Phi launched its first Brotherhood Retreat in June 2005, on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Chapters and colonies in the Midwest were asked to invite their most outstanding new initiates to attend. The retreat was an opportunity for new initiates to extend their fraternal experience beyond their own chapter/colony. Four upperclassmen, graduates of the Leadership Institute, served as mentors. Participants also interacted with staff, alumni and national volunteers who facilitated the retreat sessions. The weekend curriculum gives participants the unique opportunity to be focused exclusively on Delta Sigma Phi, our ritual and the concept of brotherhood: what it is, what it means to us, what we can do to promote and sustain it, and what can threaten it if not attended to. Teaching tools included interactive discussions, exercises and personal reflection.

The ultimate goal of the retreat was to deepen the participants’ understanding of brotherhood so that they could return to their chapters/colonies as better brothers themselves and more capable of building better men among their peers. Participant evaluations showed 100% agreement that Delta Sigma Phi should continue to offer the Brotherhood Retreat, and all of the participants said they would recommend it to their chapter brothers. Future Brotherhood Retreats will be held 2-3 times each year in various regions of the country.